New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts
HEAVY METALS IN SOME NEW ZEALAND COMMERCIAL SEA FISHES
R. R. Brooks
D. Rumsey
Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract
To establish a base line against which future pollution may be measured, eight common commercial species of New Zealand sea fish were analysed for cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. One sample of edible muscle tissue was analysed for each of 70 samples of each species. The internal organs of up to five specimens of each species were also analysed. The fish studied were: kahawai,
Arripis trutta, trevally,
Caranx lutescens, tarakihi,
Cheilodactylis macropterus, snapper,
Chrysophrys auratus, moki,
Latridopsis ciliaris, hapuku,
Polyprion oxygeneios, kingfish,
Seriola grandis and gurnard,
Trigla kumu.
Although, none of the edible parts of the fish appeared to have trace element levels likely to be a public health problem (cadmium 0.002-0.02 ppm, chromium 0.01-0.04 ppm, copper 0.04-0.95 ppm, iron 0.9-13.5 ppm, lead ' 0.14-0.95 ppm, manganese 0.04 - 2.00 ppm, nickel 0.01-0.08 ppm, zinc 2.0-36.0 ppm), some of the organs (particularly the liver) had relatively high concentrations of elements such as cadmium (up to 54 ppm). Only if some industry were to seek to exploit internal organs of fish for human consumption would such levels become important. There was some evidence for a relationship between trace element concentrations and fish size for copper in kingfish and snapper, iron in hapuku, manganese in gurnard, and for zinc in kingfish and tarakihi. Some element pairs such as copper and zinc, iron and manganese, appeared to have concentrations which were mutually related. It was assumed that the elemental concentrations reported represent natural levels and are not the result of significant man-made pollution because there are no major industries or large urban centres adjacent to the fishing grounds.
N.Z. Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 8 (/) : 155-66.
(Received for publication 6 August 1973)
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (756K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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